Joe Asakura
Joe Asakura (originally Joji Asakura) also known as Joe the Condor is the teams second-in-command, marksman & weapons expert. His birdstyle is based off the condor. He usually lives alone in a camping trailer. Background Joe was originally named George Asakura (Japanese pet name 'Joji' and was the son of two Italian scientists Guiseppe & Katarina who were members of Galactor. Joe's parents were killed when they tried to escape the organization with only Joji surviving. He was found by Dr. Nambu (who certified to the goverment that the child was dead) and was placed under his wing with the name Joe Asakura so that Galactor would not recognize him. Appearance Joe has shoulder length light brown hair and silver gray eyes. His civilian clothing usually consists of a racing jacket & a red & blue t-shirt with the number 2 on it along with driving gloves and jeans. In his Gatchaman birdstyle, the condor based suit is colored mainly light brown with dark blue limbs & boots. The outside of his feather cape is colored light blue and white on the inside, and the black helmet has red markings designed after eyes and a condor's beak, with the visor colored a clear grey. Personality Joe is more headstrong compared to the rest of his teammates, and is always ready for a fight rather than negotiate. He is willing to fight against overwhelming odds and even launch the God Phoenix's missiles at the first sign of a threat. However, despite his cynical first look and loner appearance, Joe is actually quite friendly and likes being on the team. Relationships Dr. Nambu Joe usually goes to talk to Dr. Nambu, especially when it concerns his parents and advice for the field. Ken Washio Joe and Ken tend to butt heads with each other over courses of action due to their differing personalities. However, he never wants to betray Joe or the rest of the team no matter how much they bicker. Bio Gatchaman For most of the series Joe argued with Ken over the course of action to be taken in dealing with Galactor with Joe considering brute force and overly impulsive weaponry over strategy. But later begins to warm up to Ken as a friend and as someone he can count on for the battle against Galactor. Near the end of the series, he discovers that he has incurable brain damage - sustained in an explosion - that will kill him in less than a week. With his body deteriorating Joe attempts to locate Galactor's base and call the others. However when he does so his communicator bracelet is destroyed (but it is picked up by 2 members of Red Impulse who have infiltrated Galactor who repair it & message the rest of the team to give them Joe's location). He fights the Galactor goons but is eventually overpowered due to being so weak by this point, a member of the Galactor scientist group gives Joe a drug that allows to watch Katse unfold his final plan & it allows Joe to briefly fight Katse & with great difficulty - to escape, he manages to help Jun who was under attack & to give the team the location of Galactor's headquarters. They manage to get into the base, and find the rest of the red impulse team who die they then find Katse who explains there is no way to stop 'the great plan' & jumps into the mantle and dies. Joe's feather shuriken from when he fought Katse then interferes with a gear in the fortress causing it and the mechanism to explode. Joe's body disappears from outside but they find Ken's boomerang that he left with Joe. Gatchaman II Gatchaman Fighter Weapons and Arsenal Bird Style Joe's Condor Bird Style of Kagaku Ninpo involves acrobatic movement while using projectile weaponry like his trademark feather shuriken, pistol fire, and thin wires. Weapons Feather Shuriken: Joe's signature weapon, a white feather dart with a razor sharp tip. In Gatchaman Fighter, he was given an upgraded version of his shurikens with metal bladed tips that had rocket propulsion and could release concentrated knockout gas. G-2 Mecha The Condor Machine: '''This is a high speed race car in the original series. It is based on a 1970's Nissan Skyline when its in civilian mode. The Condor Machine has a 16mm Gatling gun as its main weapon as well as armoured bulletproof shielding & incredible speed has the shape of a 1970's racing car; long & low with large tyres. '''Condor Attacker: A high performance race car used in Gatchaman II. Armed with a Type 2 Bird Missile and equipment for subterranean missions. The Condor Attacker also had a hover mode for traveling on water and rough terrain. The Mecha was destroyed along with the New God Phoenix in Gatchaman Fighter Gatcha Two: Joe's mecha in Gatchaman Fighter. A blue and white racecar armed with a gatling gun on the front, a concealed Bird Missile launcher and equipped with flight capability. The car is one of the five mechas that form the Gatchaspartan, forming the vertical stabilizer of the ship. Video Games Joe is a playable character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Category:Characters Category:Gatchaman